Inclosed submersible machine



June 10, 1930. v. GUTMANN El AL INCLOSED SUBl V IERSIBLE MACHINE FiledFeb Q 17, 1928 INVENTORS Victor Gurmann and I I l In IL HJIIIIK f LudwigSf inet' AT'TORNEY 15 pendin Patented June 1-0, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE VICTdB GUTMANN, F NUBEMIBERG, AND LUID'WIG STEHTEB, OFBERLIN, GERMANY,

ASSIGNORS T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A COR-PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA INOLOSED SUBMEBSIBLE Application fled February17, 1928, Serial 1T0. 255,166, and in Germany April 80, 1927.

' This invention relates generally to inclosed electrical machines foroperation under water and more particularly to submersible electricmotors.

In operating an electrical machine submerged in a liquid, such, forexample, as a submersible pumping equipment for oil wells,

special provision must be made to prevent the motor casing from fillingwith water or oil to such a de e as to result ininjury to the motorwindings.

Various means have been rovided for removing leakage fluid from t emotor casing, either continuously or intermittently, deupon theparticular structure utilized.

is collected in a reservoir located at the bottom of the motor casingfrom .which it is discharged into the well by means of a highpressurecentrifugal pump actuated from the the motor shaft.

In removing the leakage fluid intermittently, a collecting reservoir isprovided at the bottom of the motor casing and a suitable electricheater element is disposed therein to eifect vaporization of thecollected fluid. The supply of current for the electric heater elementis controlled by a switch responsive to the fluid level in thereservoir. The heater element is energized and transforms the fluid intovapor which is discharged, under its own pressure, through a checkvalve, into the well. The objectpf the present invention, generallystated, is to provide means for excluding leakage fluid from asubmersible type elec-- trical machine which shall be simple andeconomical to manufacture and operate.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide for collecting anddischarging leakage fluid from the inclosing casing of asubmersible-type electrical machine. Another object of the invention isto provide for automatically interrupting the supply circuit of asubmersible-type electrical machine to prevent the occurrence of aflashover caused by excessive amounts of leakage fluid entering themachine casing.

A further object of the invention is to provide for indicating aboveground when the the first instance, the leakage fluid inclosing casingof a submersible-type electrical machine becomes filled to apredetermined height with leakage liquid.

Other 0 jects of the invention will become evident from the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying draw-' ing inwhich the single figure is a view partly in section and partly in sideelevation, of a submersible-type electrical pumping equipment'showingdetails of construction.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a portion of a borehole or well partly filled with a fluid 2.

In order 'to pump the fluid, an electrical pumping set comprising acentrifugal or screw pump 3 and a motor 4 for actuating the pump isprovided. 'As shown, the pump 3 and motor 4 are joined together in aunitary structure by means of the skeleton casting 5. The set may besuspended in the bore hole 1 b the ump tubing 6 which is connected to te disc arge port of the pump 3 by means of the coupling member 7.

Since it is practically impossible to construct a perfect fluid-tightpacking for the motor drive shaft 8, a reservoir 9'is provided at'thebottom of the motor casing in which all of the leakage fluid whichenters the casing'ff the motor 4 may be collected.

this embodiment of the invention, the reservoir 9 for collecting theleakage fluid is formed by extending the motor casing to rovide acylindrical member 11, as shown. e reservoir 9 is provided with a bottom12 provided with an openin 13 through which leakage fluid may bediscarged into the well or bore hole. a

The discharge of the fluid through the opening 13 may be controlled byany suita le valve mechanism, and, in this articular embodiment of theinvention, a fluid-actuated valve, comprising a movable valve member 14and an actuating float 15 is provided.

As shown, the valve member 14 is disposed to be urged upwardly into enagemcntwith the valve seat 16 when the fl oat 15 is submerged in thefluid 2 and is actuated to its open or discharge position when the float15, is raised above the fluid level. Guide memm0 bers 17 ,and 18 areprovided for maintaining the valve mechanism in proper position toinsure reliable operation.

' In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the float 15 extendsdownwardly for a considerable distance below the bottom of the reservoir9 in order that the discharge opening may be closed and suflicientpressure exerted upon the movable valve member 14 before the submersionof the motor.

It will be readily understood that, after the pumping set has beensubmerged and in operation for a considerable length of time, thenatural leakage which occurs, gradually tends to fill the reservoir 9and, if allowed to accumulate indefinitely, the fluid level will riseinto the motor casing 4 and cause serious damage to the motor windings.Therefore, in order to indicate to the operator the quantity of leakagefluid which has collected in the reservoir 9, a suitable signalling orindicating system is provided.

In this particular embodiment of the invention, the signalling isaccomplished by automatically stopping the motor 4 when the leakagefluid has risen to a predetermined height in the reservoir 9. As shown,a mercury switch 19 is mounted within the casing and disposed to beactuated by a float 2. The phase windings 22 of the motor 4 areconnected to a star point in the mercury switch 19 through a pluralityof leads 23 which extend from the phase windings 22 through a suitableopening 24 in the top of the reservoir 9, as shown. The mercury switch19 is normally closed but may be actuated to the open position tointerrupt the motor supply circuit when the fluid level in the reservoir9 reaches a predetermined height. As shown, the motor-supply circuitcomprises a plurality of conductors 25 which extend from a suitablesource of power on the surface. The conductors 25 are run through amoistureproof conduit 26 for protection against moisture and otherharmful agents.

The interruption of the motor-supply circuit indicates to the operatorthat the reservoir has become filled with leakage fluid to a dangerousheight which necessitates raising the motor out of the fluid.2 in orderto cause operation of the valve member 14'to permit the leakage fluid todischarge from the reservoir 9.

It will be readily understood also that various current-responsive tripmechanisms may be utilized to open the supply switch of the motor at thetop of the well thereby de-' energizing the motor windings to preventflashover in the event the leakagefluid comes into contact with motorwindings. Furthermore, since the motor packing is more efiective whenthe shaft is not turning, .the'automatic stopping of the motor willreduce the leakage of fluid into the motor casing until the pump can beraised and the collected fluid discharged, as described hereinbefore.

We would state, in conclusion, that, while the illustrated exampleconstitutes a practical embodiment of our invention, we do not limitourselves strictly to the exact details herein illustrated sincemodifications of the same may be made without departing from the spiritof the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim as our nvention:

1. In a submersible electrical machine, in combination, a pump forpumping fluids, a motorfor operating the pump, a casing for inclosingthe motor, said casing being provided with a reservoir for collectingleakage fluid, means for discharging leakage fluid from the reservoirwhen the motor casing is raised out of the fluid, and means responsiveto the level of the fluid in the reservoir for controlling the operationof the motor.

2. In a submersible electrical machine, in combination, a pump forraising fluids, a motor for operating the pump, a casing for inclosingthe motor, a reservoir for collecting leakage fluid carried by the motorcasing, means for discharging fluid fromthe reser voir when the motorcasing is raised out of the fluid, and means provided within thereservoir for stopping the motor and thereby indicating when the motorcasing should be raised to cause a discharge of the leakage fluid fromthe reservoir.

3. In a submersible electrical machine, in combination, a pump forraising fluids, a motor for operating the pump, a casing for inclosingthe motor, a reservoir carried by the casing for collecting leakagefluid, a discharge opening in the reservoir, fluid-actuated means forclosing the discharge opening when the motor casing is submersed, andfluid-actuated means within the casing for stopping the motor andthereby indicating when the motor casing should be raised to allow thedischarge opening of the reservoir to open and discharge the leakagefluid from .the reservoir.

4. In a submersible electrical machine, in

combination, a pump for raising fluids, a mo-' tor for operating thepump, a casing for inclosing the motor, a reservoir carried bythe casingfor collecting leakage fluid, a floatactuated valve for controlling thedischarge of leakage fluid from the reservoir, and means responsive to apredetermined quantity of-leakage fluid in the reservoir forautomatically stopping the motor.

5. In a submersible electrical machine, in combination, a pump forraising fluids, a motor for operating the pump, a casing for inclosingthe motor, a reservoir carried by the casing for collecting leakagefluid, a floatactuated valve for discharging leakage fluid from thereservoir when raised out of the fluid, and means within the reservoirresponsive to the height of the fluid level in the reservoir forautomatically stopping the moat before the leakage fluid in the casinghas reached the motor windings.

6. In a submersible electrical machine, 1n

combination, a pump for raising fluids, a

motor for operating the pump, a casing for inclosing the motor, areservoir carried by the casing for collecting leakage fluid, andopening in the reservoir, vice disposed to be controlled by the fluidoutside the reservoir ing the discharge opening before the motor casingenters the fluid, and means responsive to the level of the fluid in the.reservoir for stopping the motor and thereby indicating when the leakagefluid has collected in a redetermined quantity and for indicating w enthe leakage fluid has discharged from the reservoir after the opening ofthe discharge con trol device.

7 In a submersible electrical machine, in combination, a pump for.raising fluids, a motor for operating the pump, a casi g for inclosingthe motor, a reservoir for collecting leakage fluid. an open sleeveportion at the bottom of said reservoir, a discharge port .in the bottomof the reservoir communicating with the open sleeve portion, meansdisposed within'the open sleeve portion for opening the discharge portwhen the casing is raised out of the fluid, and means responsive tofluid in the reservoir for stopping the motor and thereby indicatingwhen the motor casing should be raised out of the fluid to permit theopening of the discharge port.

8. In a submersible electrical machine, in combination, a pump forraising fluids. a motor for operating the pump, a casing for inclosingthe motor, a reservoir for collecting leakage fluid, and means fordischarging flllld from the reservoir, said discharge means beingdisposed to automatically open and close when the motor casing is raisedand submerged. respectively.

9. In a submersible electrical machine, in combination, a pump forraising fluids, a motor for operating the pump, a casing for inclosingthe motor. a reservoir disposed beneath the motor for collecting leakagefluid, said reservoir having adischarge opening, and a float-actuatedvalve disposed to control the discharge opening, said float-actuatedvalve being disposed to close the discharge opening before the motor issubmerged.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto subscribed our names this 14thday of J anuary, 1928.

VICTOR GUTMANN. LUDWIG STEINER.

a float-actuated de-- for automatically 'clos

